Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Hurricane Katrina

Never in my 56 years have I witnessed such utter destruction by the forces of nature. Night after night I watched dumbfounded and awe struck by events as they unfolded in the American Gulf States. I could not believe my eyes as thousands of people in the United States were left stranded without food and water for days on end by their government and local authorities, supposedly the most advanced and powerful on Earth.

It was like watching a poor and incompetent third world government in action. In all truth I was appalled by the sheer ineptitude and unnecessary suffering caused by the unfathomable inability of the authorities to organise themselves properly and swiftly, to deal with the needs of people in the immediate aftermath of Katrina's devastation.

I could not believe that U.S. authorities found it beyond their means to airlift water and food to those who were trapped or organise the recovery of bodies that lay visible to the world for a week or longer in parallel with search and rescue operations.

Will we ever look at the U.S. in the same awe struck light again? Whatever the reaction, there are serious questions that tens of thousands of people will want answers to, before Katrina's deadly consequences are laid to rest in the annals of history. Frankly I can't think any of them will be convincing.

Poetry: http://www.spearman.blogspot.com

UN Reform - A sick Joke

So the UN has agreed on some steps to counter terrorism but has been unable to agree a definition of terrorism. How pathetic is that?

Until the UN Charter is modified allowing the expulsion of any and all countries that operate outside the rules of international law, the UN will never be anything more than a corrupt, ideologically bankcrupt and incompetent talking shop.

Starvation in Niger, genocide in the Sudan, murderous dictatorship in Zimbabwe, atrocities in the Congo and never ending poverty in Africa continue unabated despite the hollow rhetoric emanating from the corridors of power in the UN and elsewhere. It's a blight on humanity and a disgrace for which those with the power to act shall forever be condemned by the harsh gaze of history.

Poetry: http://www.spearman.blogspot.com